Sad end as popular Jesters Comedy Club is boarded up

THE historic old home of Jesters Comedy Club in Cheltenham Road is now boarded up.

Metropolis – a converted cinema, which once housed the popular comedy brand and saw performances by live bands and regular burlesque cabaret nights – now stands empty and abandoned.

Jesters, which first opened in 1995, played host to many of Britain's best-known stand-up comedians including Bristol's own Justin Lee Collins and Keynsham-born Bill Bailey, as well as Peter Kay, Catherine Tate, Little Britain's Matt Lucas, Alistair McGowan, Jimmy Carr and Russell Brand. Owner David Trew, pictured, told the Evening Post he had to move Jesters out of the building, which he leased, after costs spiralled.

The building is now back in the hands of its landlord, who lives in Harrow, and there are no signs outside indicating it is for sale.

Mr Trew has rebranded Jesters to be called Riproar Comedy and has moved to The Cresswell Centre in College Square.

Riproar launched at the centre, owned by Bristol Cathedral Choir School, in October and operates every Saturday.

Mr Trew said: "Rent for the Metropolis was very high and the building was costing as much as £120,000 a year to operate and maintain.

"I wasn't making any money by hosting music there and I really wanted to get back to my roots, at the end of the day I'm a comedy promoter.

"I'd also had enough of Stokes Croft – with the rioting and the politics that go on there, I wanted a fresh start.

"The Cresswell Centre is a much better venue and I just hire it for the specific events I put on which means it costs a lot less.

"We still have the same quality of comedians as it's still me booking them.

"Now we also have an award-winning food service, plus a bar, climate control, full theatrical lighting, projection facilities, and an in-house, surround-sound PA."

Jesters was originally housed in the building across the road from Metropolis that became a controversial Tesco store and the focus of riots last year.

Jesters moved to the grade II-listed Metropolis in 2008.